Lord Knows It's Not Easy Being A Woman

We all know it's hard to be a woman.
It's even harder to be a Christian woman ... especially in this day and age.

The modern woman faces so many obstacles that might keep us from being our very best.
The world we live in is confusing and often times harmful.

A staggering number of women come from broken homes. I did. My parents have been apart ever since I can remember. Growing up, it was just my mom, my little sister and I. Often times I've told myself that I have been better off because my father was never around. I'm a tough cookie, so to speak, but every little girl needs that first man in her life to look up to. A good father loves his daughter (and wife) unconditionally, and in doing so teaches by example how a man ought to treat a woman. In turn, when that girl becomes a woman, the men that she'll encounter must measure up to that standard. Not to be overlooked is a mother's role our lives. Let's face it, we are like our mother's to some degree. We see how they act, we see how they treat our fathers, we see how they contribute to the world. If we grow up in a home without a mother, we are growing up without an important teacher.

There are also many women who have experienced some type of abuse (verbal, physical, sexual, emotional) from there father, boyfriend, uncle, husband, brother or complete stranger. In a lesser way, we have all probably experienced something similar. Whether it was a boyfriend who cheated on us or a random guy who called you a derogatory name or was aggressive. We have gotten used to being treated badly. We are numb to it. We think it's normal for guys to talk to us like we're garbage, to treat us like imbeciles. Because we are so used to this behavior from men we have lost respect for ourselves.

Then, there's the idea that the world puts into our minds about how we as women are supposed to act, talk, dress, interact with one another and with men. Look at the shows that are on television. They depict women that lie to get what they want, who are sexually promiscuous, who give up family and friends for want of their own desires; women that are more concerned with shopping, gossiping and staying up-to-date with the seasons latest fads than with their faith, their family or with being true to themselves. What about the female celebrities we try to emulate. They've become our new standard for living. We somehow rationalize that if we could have bigger lips or more money or a new wardrobe we would be happier. The root word of happy is hap. The definition of the word hap is an occurrence or happening. Happiness is temporary.

Have you ever called another woman a degrading word? Sure you have. We ALL have. What kind of message are we sending to guys? We expect today's men to respect us but we can't even respect each other! Girls, we make up 51% of the human population! Imagine what we could accomplish if we were all on the same team?!?! Sometimes, we need to remember that EVERYONE has tough times. EVERYBODY has quirks. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US has problems. We should be there for one another, not chomping at the bit to pull out each others hair. We are supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you treat every woman you meet like she was your own flesh and blood sister?

Last, is our misconception about what love is. When two people are in love they take care of one another, support each other, they are honest with their mate. They are considerate of the others feelings and needs. They share both laughter and tears. If you truly love someone then that feeling of love never goes away. It's not a sometimes kind of thing or a variable. It's not, "I love you now because you make me happy or because I'm getting what I want." Our society has taught us that we should always get to be happy. We should always get what we want. You don't like your car - we'll help you buy a better one. You don't like the way your nose looks - get a new one. You don't like your spouse - just get a divorce. We don't have to actually mean it when we say "I do" nowadays. It's more like, "I might." Ladies, I'm not saying stay with him even if you treats you badly. If the man you're with isn't good for you then he's no good for you. Stay together because you love one another, because you make each other better. If two people love each other they KNOW it. My husband and I have been together for 7 years. I know that he loves me, and he knows that I love him. We also know that that could never change. If my husband had an accident and became terribly disfigured...I'd still love him. If, tomorrow, my arms and legs fell off...he'd still love me. We get mad. We argue. We huff and puff. But we don't stop loving.

I can relate to all of these issues. My parents are divorced and I've dealt with men who mistreated me. I often feel pressure to be a "pretty" girl. I still can't help but compare myself to other women - no matter how hard I've tried. I'm happier and less stressed when there's more money in my bank account. I've been disrespectful and uncaring towards other women more times than I care to count. And I've made lots of mistakes in the love department.

How many of us can genuinely say that we are okay with who we are? How many of us can say that we are content with what we have? How many of us can say that we have healthy, satisfying relationships with the people in our lives?

More importantly, how can we be?

Look up! Yes, I'm serious. Take your eyes off the screen...and look up!

God knows you. He knows your problems; your needs. And he IS the answer!

Maybe, you grew up without your mom or dad. Guess what, God is the Father. We are all his children. Maybe, there's someone that really hurt you. God knows what they did. And He will take care of it. Or you feel lost in the world, let Him be your shepherd. Maybe you want to know what real love is. The love of our Lord is the greatest love of all. God is love. If we surrender ourselves to the Lord he will provide. He's there waiting for us to ask for his help.

All you have to do is ask...

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
-Isaiah 41:10